Flax Egg
Prep time
Total time
A step-by-step tutorial of how to make a flax egg, egg substitute for baking!
Author: Minimalist Baker
Recipe type: Vegan
Cuisine: Vegan, Baking
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp (7 g) flaxseed meal (ground raw flaxseed)
- 2 1/2 Tbsp (37 ml) water
Instructions
- Add flaxseed meal and water to a dish and stir. Let rest for 5 minutes to thicken. Add to recipes in place of 1 egg.
- It's not an exact 1:1 substitution in every recipe because it doesn't bind and stiffen during baking quite like an egg does. But I've found it to work incredibly well in pancakes, quick breads, brownies, muffins, cookies, and many other recipes.
Notes
*This is not my original recipe, but one I discovered on many vegan baking blogs and have since adapted for my own use.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 egg Calories: 37 Fat: 2.2g Saturated fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 2g Fiber: 1.9g Protein: 1.3g
Delicious recipe and so quick to make as well. thanks!
love it all your recipes!
Amazing!!!!!!! And healthy! Cheers. xx
Is it possible to use chia seeds instead, since I’m intolerant to flax? Thanks!
Yes! Same ratio in my experience. Again, not a 1:1 swap in every recipe so use your best discretion!
yes chia seeds will work too!
duh… flax eg?
I made a vegan quiche last week and, while it was really tasty, I found it to lack the congealed texture of eggs. Could I add a flax egg to my recipe to fix this?
Can a flax egg be used in other non-baking recipes like meatballs or burgers? Thanks!
Yes, it work well in meatballs and burgers :D
What measurement of flax seeds do you use to get 1 tablespoon of ground flax? I like to grind my own.
Hi Ronnie. I used 1 tbsp of flaxseed and it made 2 tbsp ground flax.
Thank you so much. It’s can be use to replace 1 egg?
Yes, one small egg.
I guess it helps. I’ve used them in several recipes. But, not being smart here….seriously, if it doesn’t bind and stiffen, what does it do? Why do we use them and not just leave them out? In what way does the flax egg effect the end result? Thanks for answering.
It *does* bind and stiffen, just not exactly like an egg would. I’ll oftentimes add about a tablespoon of flaxseed meal to oatmeal, and it definitely thickens it, but it does not “gel” or “solidify” unless I let it sit or put leftover in the refrigerator or something.
By let it sit, do you mean by letting the flax egg mix you made sit or the finished product? For how long? I’m making brownies going for thick and chewy here and first time doing this flax egg recipe
For best results , the flax (or chia) need to “sit” in the liquid (this is true for any recipe using these seeds) for 6+ hrs.
Thank you!
Could I use it to make matzo balls that won’t fall apart?
Have you tried it and matzoh balls yet? I’d love to know!
I’ve made matzo balls with it and it works wonderfully! Make sure not to overcook them as they get a bit slimy on the outside. But otherwise, works like a charm and adds a delicious earthiness and body to the dish.
Can I use this to make a meringue ?
I don’t think so.
Aquafaba is perfect for this purpose, just google aquafaba meringue, you’ll love it!!!
If you use the water from a can of chickpeas instead of the egg whites you get a lovely meringue.
I used this as a substitute for 1 egg in a Betty Crocker sugar Cookie mix, the turned out perfect and delicious! I made 1 slight change, I used 2 Tbsp water and 1/2 Tbsp oil.
Hi! I just wanted to share with you the AquaFaba (Chickpea water) trick
Vegan Meringue – Hits and Misses! On Facebook please!!
Keep creating amazing recipes
Love, love, love your website and your recipes!! My sensitivities clash with a few things, so brave ‘ole me has decided to start my own blog. It’s people like you that inspire me!! I’m linking this page to a berry avocado muffin recipe so that my followers will have a vegan option!! Blog on!! ;P
Ah, thanks Ashley! xo
How do you use chia seeds to make flax egg? Do you have to ground the chia first? And how long should you leave it before using? Thanks!
Nope! Leave them whole. Let it set for 5 minutes.
Phew! Glad I saw this as I was lurking through comments to see if chia could be used instead of flax – I was about to grind up my chia seed ! Thanks!!
Can this be used as a “binding” agent for breading? I have a vegan boyfriend and I like to cook more vegan for him and I would like to bread and fry some vegetables like my mom’s old chicken nugget recipe but I am having some trouble finding a vegan substitute for the egg.
Ps: I am in love with your site. Your vegan recipes and hacks are so great and much simpler than other sites I have seen. Thank you.
I’ve heard that cornstarch “eggs” work well for that purpose, but I’ve never tried flax meal.
I used it today to coat chicken nuggets before breading. Worked amazing. My kids loved it more than they usually love nuggets.
If you think about it, it would be weird to coat the chicken in its egg, wouldn’t it? Try cauliflower instead of chicken next time, it’s actually very delicious!
Blended cauliflower as a wash for chicken?
Nope! Cauliflower pieces coated like nuggets. It’s a pretty popular thing! Search for buffalo or BBQ cauliflower “wings.”
Awwsome tip! Iam planning on using this for eggless cupcakes. Is there anything I need to add or subtract that might affect my cupcake moistness levels… ?
I am so happy I discover your blog and certainly I ‘ll try some recipes. Have you ever tryed tangzhong bread you can skip milk eggs and butter so do I for a soft and fluffy bread or buns. Many greetings from Italy.
Hi, I enjoy using flax eggs and thought I would share this; if you make it ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hrs or over night it becomes congealed, and provides a better binder. I have used it with making doughnuts, pancakes and many others. :)
Thank you for the tip to let it sit overnight. I am planning to make veggie burgers with chickpeas, zucchini tots and need something to bind them, Will try this for sure
Have you tried freezing ..once it gets close to desired state ?
Freezing probably isn’t a good choice considering it’s just ground flax with water. It’s not that it needs to be cold, but that it needs time to set.
Just came upon your site and love the substitute for eggs. I am excited to try the Flax Egg in some recipes. Looking forward to information in your emails.
Can you sub chia seeds for flax seeds in this?
I absolutely love this website!! And how much would be two large flax eggs (for the brownies) ?
Can’t wait to try your flax egg recipe!
Made it today and loved it. The inside was a little moist but I figure when I make itagain I will leave in for fourth mins.
I didn’t know how easy flax eggs were to make. Thank you for showing me!
Thank you for this! I will post a link to this on my blog TheBeetMama.com for one of my recipes! Great ☺️
Should I add more baking time to my baked goods when using flax eggs? If so, about how much?
Not generally. It depends on the recipe though.
So easy, and yet so healthy. A win- win.
Thank you for all the yummy goodness you share.
Hi i was wondering can i make scrabble eggs. My daughter cant eat and she dont like the tofu eggs. We stop buying eggs in the house because of her. My husband cooked the tofu eggs, we like it but she didnt. Can we fry the flaxseed
I don’t think the flax liquid will scramble. It just has properties to help bind ingredients together similar to regular eggs.
Hey, I’ve found that whizzing the flax up in a blender really helps to improve the egg-like consistency, it absorbs the air almost like whipping egg whites.
Thanks for your recipe and love the blog!
Your One Bowl carrot apple muffins calls for 1.5 flax eggs. Can you please tell me how many actual eggs I could use in this recipe?
1 egg and 1 egg white.
Can I use this to make scrambled eggs?
Unfortunately, no. See my vegan omelet for tips.
Ok. Thank you.
Can you do the same with Hemp seeds?
Wonderfully simple. Thanks a million!
Can I use a flax seed egg to bake bread with? I have a son who’s allergic to wheat, eggs and soy so finding a way to make decent bread has been so hard!!
I just made my whole wheat banana muffins with two flax eggs instead of regular eggs. They turned out great and seemed to rise even more than they normally do!!! Score!!
Is it okay to just ground the flax seeds myself or is it better to buy them pre-ground?
It’s actually better to buy them whole and grind them yourself. They tend to go rancid faster if you store them ground. Since I am lazy, I buy pre-ground and store them in the freezer.
What a lovely surprise as I stumbled upon your flax egg recipe tonite!! As a Vegan Dedicated to ANIMALS, I am always looking for recipes that cause NO HARM to our Animal Friends! Thank u! Kathy Little Brinson
What harm does eating an egg do to the chcken!? The chicken makes the egg, lays the egg and then the egg has nothing more to do with her! Not eating the chicken is one thing. Not eating the eggs she supplies doesn’t make sense.
Because many chickens are horribly mistreated in egg production is one reason. Another is that some of us simply don’t believe in using animals in any way for food or clothing. And there are other reasons as well.
Does roasted flax work as well?
Finally decided to try this for a cookie recipe, since recently eggs have started to sit a bit heavy in my tummy. Worked out well! I will start using this for more stuff (pancakes next, I think)!
Can I use flax egg in chocolate chiffon cake, red velvet cake and various other cake recipes?
I haven’t tested those, but yes, it should work!
I veganized my traditional carrot cake recipe yesterday. This is my go to carrot cake recipe so I’ve made it many times, but usually I only sub up to half for eggs for flax eggs. The recipe calls for 4 eggs, so I used 4 flax eggs yesterday. Unfortunately it didn’t rise well and was too moist and a little gummy in the center despite baking it for a few minutes longer. Any tips?
What about using flax “egg” in meatloaf recipe?
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I actually have an egg substitute I got from whole foods that is made from chickpeas and chia seeds. Would that be okay to use instead of the flaxseed?
I tried the flax/egg substitution with almond flour pancakes-didn’t bind at all! Had to toss the batter, I wonder why it didn’t work?
Hm, not knowing what recipe you used, it’s hard to know what went wrong! Have you tried our Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes?
Thanks for the flax egg. I am also experimenting with chia seeds for similar use including thickening cooked fruit and batters. Must rinse chia seeds though as I have found grit in most sources even when marked clean.
What if I accidentally leave the flax egg to set for longer than five minutes? Will it still work?
Yes! If it becomes dry, sprinkle in a little more water.
Just made these cuz I had 3 brown bananas that needed to be used but I was a little disappointed with the results :( The muffins came out a very dark brown… I used raw sugar instead of brown sugar, could that be why they are so dark? They also have a kind of bitter taste to them, but I cooked them for 20 minutes so they shouldn’t be burned…Help :(
Hi! Do you think this would work in a pecan pie? I appreciate your help, thanks!
I’m not sure but it’s worth a shot!
Hi,
Do you have any experience with making psyllium eggs? Thanks!
I don’t! Sorry.
I made it, and it turned out great!
Hi, I used this because I realized too late in a recipe that I didn’t have eggs. It worked perfectly and I’m happy that I have another option. Thank you
I’m new to your blog. In other baking recipes sometimes you can replace an egg with applesauce, do you think this could work in this recipe?
Hi Vicki! You can use 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce in place of one egg in most baking recipes, so if you wanted to try that rather than making a flax egg, that is an option too!
Tasted horrible, worst omelette I’ve ever made.
Hi Atticus! Flax eggs are a great vegan substitute in baking but I can see why you didn’t particularly enjoy them in place of eggs for an omelette! In future, try this when you’re in a scramble!
How much flax meal should I use if the recipe (key lime pie) only calls for egg yolks? I assume same ratio, just less volume. Thanks!
Hi! I don’t think that flax eggs will work for key lime pie! That being said, here is a Vegan Key Lime Pie recipe for you to check out that does not require eggs!
Thanks for such explicit information. The additional nutritional facts are a plus.
I used this and it worked but I just want to make sure I’m doing it right.. when you measure the flax meal do you do it like flour or like brown sugar? Like do you pack it in or fluff it up?
Today, I used this to make some vegan yeasted crepes with whole wheat flour. Honestly, I thought it would work a lot better than it did. Batter was too runny and took hours to rise, though I followed instructions to a T – the only change being the egg substitute. The crepes simply fell apart on the skillet. I think I’ll be sticking with my usual vegan egg sub – half a mashed banana.
I have an egg allergy. I use 1 Tab. Ground flax mixed with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 3 Tab. Water. This equals 1 egg for baking.
For meatballs, meatloaf, just omit the baking powder!
my son bought flax seeds, can I grind those and use to make egg?
You sure can!
After about 5 minutes you would see a change in the texture. It would become gelatinous, sticky. Now the flax egg is ready to be used in your recipe as egg substitute.
I’ve read all over the internet that the substitution should be 1 Tbsp flax/3 Tbsp water. Your recipe works much better, as using that much water just makes everything watery. Thanks!
Would the flax egg works to substitute for 2 large eggs in toll house pie?
Pie crust
2 large eggs
1/2 c Flour
1/2 c granulated Sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c Earth Balance
1 c Chocolate Chips
1 c chopped nuts
Hi Callie! Yes, that should work!
I used this recipe as an “egg wash” for some bagels. I let the mixture sit, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes while prepping other ingredients. It worked out very well and my toppings stuck to the bagels perfectly! Thanks.
Good to know. I use flax for egg replacement but would have not thought to do that. Thanks !!
Works great, thanks for the tip
I just made these but I’m disappointed. They didn’t rise like the ones in your photos and the color of mine look like cardboard. I followed the recipe exactly. Why??
Hi Maude! What recipe are you referring to? I think you may have commented on the wrong page!